4 ms·

8 hours is long, but if you factor in ground transportation and station-locations it makes sense. Flying: Berlin to Brandenburg (34 mins) + security (1 hr) + f

by wenc 2y ago

8 hours is long, but if you factor in ground transportation and station-locations it makes sense. Flying: Berlin to Brandenburg (34 mins) + security (1 hr) + flight (2 hrs) + Orly/CDG to Paris (46 mins) = 4.33 hrs (and that's the happy path -- in reality it's closer to 5.5 hours, with lots of transfers) Train is A-to-B with lots of legroom.

switch007 2y ago
Spandau is hardly the centre though 8 hours is long no matter what you factor in. Plus long rail journeys that are expensive and on non refundable tickets, you turn up early. We’re having this debate in the UK with our new high speed line. Saving 30 mins off a journey is moot if tickets will be stricter and people turn up 30 mins early
xenospn 2y ago
An hour through security?!
- wenc 2y ago
  I'm including security and waiting at the gate. It's the same in the US. I have TSA Precheck but always arrive 1 hr early, even though getting through security only takes 7-10 mins.
TacticalCoder 2y ago
And that is precisely why, unless you go between two directly connected cities, car is even more convenient than train. You don't happen to live in the train station in Paris. And neither do you happen to stay at the train station in Berlin. Google Maps tell me Paris-Berlin is 9h35 minutes by car. I can now leave at the exact time I want. Maybe pick up something on the way by making a little detour. And arrive at my destination and have a car there. I did that just yesterday (a road trip from Luxembourg to the french riviera): 960 km road trip (600 miles). Closest train station is a one hour drive. Closest highway is a 45 minutes drive. Closest airport a 1h30 minutes drive. And of course once at my destination I then get to use my own car, not a rental one. P.S: No security check lines. No being packed like sardines.
- wenc 2y ago
  Except for city centers, there's nowhere cheap to park (especially overnight parking). I used to live in upstate NY, and driving was definitely more convenient and fun (I would learn so much listening to long podcasts), but I would never drive to NYC because of the parking issue.
- seba_dos1 2y ago
  ...which is almost 10h wasted in front of a wheel in an exhausting high attention mode, as opposed to pulling out a book or laptop and checking the dining car out in a train.
- xerp2914 2y ago
  I'd take 8 hours on a train where I can relax, read a book or do some work over 9 hours driving.

by wenc 2y ago

switch007 2y ago

Spandau is hardly the centre though 8 hours is long no matter what you factor in. Plus long rail journeys that are expensive and on non refundable tickets, you turn up early. We’re having this debate in the UK with our new high speed line. Saving 30 mins off a journey is moot if tickets will be stricter and people turn up 30 mins early

xenospn 2y ago

An hour through security?!

wenc 2y ago
I'm including security and waiting at the gate. It's the same in the US. I have TSA Precheck but always arrive 1 hr early, even though getting through security only takes 7-10 mins.

TacticalCoder 2y ago

And that is precisely why, unless you go between two directly connected cities, car is even more convenient than train. You don't happen to live in the train station in Paris. And neither do you happen to stay at the train station in Berlin. Google Maps tell me Paris-Berlin is 9h35 minutes by car. I can now leave at the exact time I want. Maybe pick up something on the way by making a little detour. And arrive at my destination and have a car there. I did that just yesterday (a road trip from Luxembourg to the french riviera): 960 km road trip (600 miles). Closest train station is a one hour drive. Closest highway is a 45 minutes drive. Closest airport a 1h30 minutes drive. And of course once at my destination I then get to use my own car, not a rental one. P.S: No security check lines. No being packed like sardines.

wenc 2y ago
Except for city centers, there's nowhere cheap to park (especially overnight parking). I used to live in upstate NY, and driving was definitely more convenient and fun (I would learn so much listening to long podcasts), but I would never drive to NYC because of the parking issue.
seba_dos1 2y ago
...which is almost 10h wasted in front of a wheel in an exhausting high attention mode, as opposed to pulling out a book or laptop and checking the dining car out in a train.
xerp2914 2y ago
I'd take 8 hours on a train where I can relax, read a book or do some work over 9 hours driving.